Ottawa, June 7, 2010:
Effective June 14, 2010, the United States
Department of Agriculture (USDA) will require all shipments of
tomatoes from Canada to be accompanied by an industry-issued
"certificate of origin." This requirement is
primarily based on the USDA's efforts to prevent the entry of
tomato leafminer to the U.S.
This requirement is meant to prevent the
entry of tomato leafminer (Tuta absoluta) into the U.S.
Tomatoes produced in Canada may continue to
be exported to the U.S. as long as they are accompanied by a
certificate verifying the country of production.
Tomatoes produced in the Dominican Republic, Mexico, or the
United States may continue to be re-exported to the U.S. as
long as they are accompanied by this same certificate.
Tomatoes from any other country are not permitted to enter the
U.S. through Canada.
This new certificate of origin for tomatoes is very similar to
the certificate of origin that has been required for peppers
exported to the U.S. since October 2009.
The certificate must be completed and signed
by the exporter. The CFIA is not involved in issuing the
certificate of origin. However, blank certificates of origin
for both tomatoes and peppers are available from local CFIA
offices and grower associations.
If a shipment contains both tomatoes and
peppers, a separate certificate of origin must be provided for
each commodity. Exporters should keep copies of all their
certificates of origin and associated documentation (for
example, invoices, packing slips, etc.) for verification
purposes.
Tomato leafminer is a damaging insect pest
that is rapidly spreading in several countries. As a result,
tomato leafminer is now a regulated pest in Canada. Fresh
tomatoes entering Canada must meet Canada’s import
requirements, as described in policy directive D-10-01.
However, any tomatoes entering Canada from a country regulated
for tomato leafminer do not meet U.S. import requirements and
are, therefore, not allowed to be re-exported to U.S. The USDA’s
import requirements for fresh tomatoes are available on the
USDA website.
The CFIA will continue working towards a
harmonized regulatory approach with the U.S. to minimize trade
barriers between our two countries.
For more information:
National CFIA spokesperson:
Rob Ormrod
Kelowna, British Colombia
250-470-4893
